Promulgation of Diocesan Pastoral Council Constitution

The Constitutions replace the working commissions of the co-ordinating group of the pastoral plan. The coordinating group itself will hold its last meeting on 24 June 2010 and will be replaced by the new Diocesan Pastoral Council.

Speaking about the promulgation of the Constitution Dr Tony Hanna who was involved in the creation of the Constitution said: “The Constitution allows for the whole People of God in the Archdiocese to be involved in the development of the pastoral plan and to use their gifts in service of the mission of Christ in the world.”

The full text of the Diocesan Pastoral Council Constitution is available here.

The Cardinal and Mrs Sheila McAneaney are pictured above with the signed copy of the promulgation of the Constitution.

New Pastoral Area Resource Teams Commissioned

Reflecting on the ceremony Mr Joe Purcell of the Armagh Diocesan Pastoral Centre said “It was very uplifting to see so many people, priests and laity together, presenting themselves for leadership roles in the diocese. It really gave us all a great lift.”

Addressing the priest leaders (Vicars forane) and the members of the pastoral area resource teams, Cardinal Brady said:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it gives me great joy to see you here offering yourselves in service of your pastoral area.

Under the leadership of the Vicar forane it will be your duty to ensure the effective sharing of the collective gifts and talents of the parishes in the pastoral area and to identify pastoral matters that can be done better together as a pastoral area than separately as individual parishes.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, you do this in order to fulfil the mission of the Church to proclaim the Word of God and further the mission of Christ in the world.
Therefore, I ask you:

Are you willing to use your gifts and energy as a member of your pastoral area resource team in service of the pastoral activity of your pastoral area?

Members: I am.

Cardinal: Are you committed to working together in a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect?

Members: I am.

Cardinal: Will you commit yourself to promoting the aim of our diocese which is to be the Body of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can live like Jesus in our time and place sharing his compassionate love with all?

Members: I will.

Cardinal: Will you make prayer an integral part of both your personal life and the life of your pastoral area resource team?

Members: I will.

Cardinal Brady addressed the Vicars forane
Vicars forane, are you willing to work collaboratively with the priests, pastoral area resource team members and the parishioners of your pastoral area in order to strengthen each of the parishes in the pastoral area.

Vicars forane: I am.

Cardinal Brady addresses the congregation
Will you support the members of your pastoral area resource team in their ministry among you?

All: I will.

Cardinal: Will you pray God’s blessing on them as they help to strengthen each of the parishes in your pastoral area?

All: I will.

Cardinal: Will you continue to identify your own gifts and put them at the service of your parish and pastoral area?

All: I will.

Cardinal: Will you also commit yourselves to promoting the aim of our diocese which is to be the Body of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can live like Jesus in our time and place sharing his compassionate love with all?

All: I will.

Cardinal Brady blessed the pastoral area resource teams with the following words:
Let us pray.
Gracious God, through the sending of the Holy Spirit your Son called us to be a community of disciples committed to the building of your kingdom.
Send your blessing + on our 18 new pastoral areas that they may be faithful to proclaiming the Word of God and furthering the mission of Christ in the world.
Bless + the Vicars forane and the members of the new pastoral area resource teams. Renew in them the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on them in confirmation. Give them the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of right judgment and courage, the Spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
As they use their gifts in service of the mission of Christ and of the parishes in their pastoral area fill them with your faith, hope and love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATIFICATION OF ST. OLIVER PLUNKETT

There will be a creative arts competition involving all areas of the Creative Arts, Music of all types, Drama, Music, Art, Creative Writing, Dance are just some of the means of participation. The theme of the competition for this year will be “Martyred”. All young people, as individuals, schools or parish groups from throughout the Diocese are welcome to participate.

A special “Walk of Hope” from the site where Pope John Paul II said Mass in 1979 to the shrine of St. Oliver will also take place on the same day with some fun activities planned for afterwards. Transport available subject to demand.

For further details and to register your interest please go to the new Diocesan Youth website www.adyc.ie under “Summer Attractions”.

African Link Youth Mass

Local musicians Micky Coleman, Justin McGurk (The Boogeymen), Plunkett McGartland and Malachai Cush (all under the direction of Coalisland Parish Priest Fr. Paul Byrne) have volunteered their services to help create a vibrant atmosphere for this special occasion. Further details on www.adyc.ie under “Summer Attractions”.

27 May – Funeral Mass for the Very Rev Joseph Campbell – Church of St Mary, Mullaghbawn

FUNERAL MASS FOR THE VERY REV JOSEPH CAMPBELL
27 MAY 2010

CHURCH OF ST. MARY, MULLAGHBAWN

We gather to celebrate this Mass for the repose of the soul of Fr. Joseph Campbell, former Parish Priest of Mullaghbawn Parish in County Armagh. Joe Campbell was ordained for the Archdiocese of Armagh after studies for the priesthood in the Irish College , Rome. For his first few years he ministered in the Diocese of Down and Connor and then as Chaplain to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. His first appointment to parish work was in Knockbridge 1965-1969. He then ministered in Kilsaran for eight years, Clonoe for seven years, Ardtrea (Moneymore) for seven years until 1991, when he was appointed Parish Priest of Mullaghbawn, Co. Armagh, where he ministered for yet another period of seven years. He was a priest of the Diocese for fifty-one years.

My memories of Father Joe, as we called him, go back a long way. He was always the warm-hearted man with a broad smile and always a bit of banter. He was one of that generation of priests trained in the Irish College, Rome who loved to go back there to revive memories of the past and relive the finer points of the education that formed him for ministry in Armagh. He loved the Italian way of life, the camaraderie of the past and the opportunity to be so close to the centre of Church life around Rome. At the drop of a hat he would wax eloquent about his tutors and educators and was known to break into an Italian song in the middle of a serious conversation. He enjoyed Rome and all of its associations.

In all of his ministry Joe was the conscientious priest, totally committed to his work. He is remembered fondly in every place where he served. I suppose the highlight of his work was the building of the new Church in Forkhill. I remember the great joy on Sunday 4th May 1997 when the new Church of St Oliver Plunkett was opened on Forkhill. Fr Joe was like a man rejuvenated. Favours from the past were called in and anyone with appropriate expertise was called on to contribute their bit. It was all a dream come true. He would have liked to continue that work further but for some time he was beginning to show signs of ill-health. This progressed steadily until it began to impinge on his daily routine and on his mobility. Life became difficult. Retirement was inevitable. The past twelve years were testing. I think of the words of Scripture – “He was tested like gold in a furnace”

Indeed in recent years he was tested to the last but was always accepting and resigned. There were repeated spells spent in hospital. At times he would have reached crisis point in his illness but the will was there to continue. September 2003 he was at crisis point in the Louth Hospital. Family and friend feared the worse until Cuthbert Donnelly, of Tyrone GAA fame, came to the hospital with the Sam Maguire Cup just clinched by the Tyrone team. Fr Joe sat up in the bed and posed for picture after picture with the coveted trophy. It was a moment that he treasured for the rest of his life. Over the following seven years there were many other crises but through it all Fr Joe was valiant to the last. I often think of him in those memorable words of Christ to St. Peter in St. John’s Gospel;

“When you were young
You put on your own belt and walked where you liked but when you grow old
You will stretch out your hands
And somebody else will put a belt around you
And take you where you would rather not go”.

Those words had a particular application to Fr. Joe in his recent years. Yet through it all he didn’t complain. He was heroic in suffering.

Today we pray that he may now share the joy of eternity with God in Heaven. Fr Joe was a devout man committed to his ministry. The words of the Gospel apply to all of his ministry. He was true to his call “to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour”. We pray that he may now received the reward for which he worked so faithfully.

May he rest in peace.

Launch of new parish area resource teams, diocesan council and pastoral constitution for the Archdiocese of Armagh

In attendance Cardinal Seán Brady, Bishop Gerard Clifford, priests of the Archdiocese of Armagh, members of the new Parish Area Resource Teams and members of the new Diocesan Council for the Archdiocese of Armagh
Venue St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh
Date Tuesday 8 June 2010
Time 7.30pm – 9.00pm. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony in the Synod Hall

The ceremony will begin with a reflection on the newly created diocesan aim:

As a diocese, we aim to be the body of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can live like Jesus in our time and place sharing his compassionate love with all.

Looking forward to the launch, Cardinal Seán Brady referred to his speech of 3 November 2008 saying “The Archdiocese of Armagh is a communion of faith communities, which are committed to each other. As we embark on this process of renewing our structures we will rely on this spirituality of communion among all of us to strengthen our parishes as vibrant faith communities in this 21st century.”

Cardinal Brady continued “The emergence of these new realities for the diocese is the fruit of many years planning and hard work and it has involved huge consultation with all of the faithful. The new structures bear testimony to the resilience of the Church and to the commitment of the faithful as they look for new ways to continue the work of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit in our time and place.

“Much of this work has taken place against the background of huge turmoil and strife within the Church as it confronts the painful repercussions of the recent scandals. The involvement of hundreds of people – mostly lay – in these new diocesan structures is a wonderful sign of hope and encouragement at this time. May God bless our work.”

• Background to the launch

A celebration for the people of the diocese
At Masses throughout the diocese on the last weekend of May the people of the diocese were invited to join this diocesan celebration on 8 June next. Many people throughout the diocese – especially young people – have contributed to the formation of the diocesan aim which emphasises the importance of living like Jesus in our time and place. Prayer cards highlighting the diocesan aim will be available for distribution to people throughout the diocese.

Eight Commissions of the new Diocesan Pastoral Council
In the second part of the ceremony, Cardinal Brady will launch the constitution of the new Diocesan Pastoral Council.   The new Council will have representatives from the newly formed pastoral areas in the diocese as well as representatives of the religious and the various Church-based organisations in the diocese. A new element to the Diocesan Pastoral Council is the eight commissions that will be at the forefront of the ministry of the Diocesan Pastoral Council. The eight commissions:
•         Liturgy
•         Faith formation and training
•         Mission and ecumenism
•         Justice, peace and development
•         Youth
•         Care for priests
•         Christian vocation
•         Prayer and spirituality

Each of the commissions, while having its own particular focus, will bring a family perspective and a concern for safeguarding children to their work.

Eighteen new Pastoral Area Resource Teams for the diocese
The highlight of the ceremony will be the commissioning of the eighteen new pastoral area resource teams. The resource teams are made up of five people from each of the parishes in the pastoral areas. The pastoral area resource team will be guided and led by the Vicar Forane so as to help to strengthen each of the parishes in two ways:
i. By ensuring the effective sharing of the collective gifts and talents of the parishes in the pastoral area; and,
ii. By identifying pastoral matters that together can be more effectively undertaken as a pastoral area rather than separately as individual parishes.

Notes for Editors

•    Special celebratory image for the launch is available from Catholic Communications Office 00353 01 505 3013
•    The formation of the new Diocesan Pastoral Council marks the closing of the previous Diocesan Pastoral Council established by the late Cardinal Cahal Daly
and which held its final gathering in September 2009. It also brings to a close the Co-ordinating Group of the Pastoral Plan which will hold its last meeting on
24 June 2010.
•    The web-link below connects to the address by Cardinal Brady on 3 November 2008 at the launch of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese of
Armagh entitled Strengthening Parishes in the 21st Century. The objective of the plan is to sustain parishes as vibrant faith communities into the future.
The launch was supported by a Pastoral Letter detailing this initiative and the faithful were invited to contribute to the process and were regularly consulted concerning its development: http://www.archdioceseofarmagh.org/cardinal/statements-and-addresses/50-2008/601-3-november-strengthening-parishes-in-the-21st-century-press-launch-in-the-synod-hall-armagh-address-by-cardinal-brady

• Members of the diocesan council consist of the following: Archbishop of Armagh (President), Auxiliary Bishop, the Vicars General, Chairman of the Senate of Priests, Chairpersons of the Diocesan Pastoral Council Commissions, Directors of the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry, Chairperson of the Diocesan Pastoral Council as elected by the Council, Youth Director, Child Safeguarding Director, 2 members from each pastoral area nominated by the pastoral area resource teams, 2 priests nominated by the Senate of Priests, 3 full time pastoral workers nominated from their own cohort, 6 religious nominated from within their own members, 6 members nominated by the Youth Commission, 2 members nominated by the New Ecclesial Movements, 10 representatives drawn from active diocesan groups as nominated by the Archbishop and Diocesan Secretary

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 00353 (0) 86 172 7678
Fr Andrew McNally, Co-director of the Pastoral Plan, Archdiocese of Armagh 00 353 42 933 6649
Dr Tony Hanna, Co-director of the Pastoral Plan, Archdiocese of Armagh 00353 (0) 87 6155619

Pastoral Area H

Parishes: Armagh, Keady,

Pastoral Area G

Parishes: Kilmore, Loughgall, Portadown (Drumcree), Tandragee

Vicar forane: Very Rev. Michael O’Dwyer P.P., V.F.

Pastoral Area Events:

Pastoral Area F

Parishes: Dungannon, Eglish, Moy (Clonfeacle)

Vicar forane: Very Rev. Dean Colm Curry P.P., V.F.

Pastoral Area Events:

Pastoral Area E

Parishes: Ardboe, Clonoe, Coalisland (Ballyclog & Donaghenry)

Vicar forane: Rev. Benedict Fee P.P., V.f.

Pastoral Area Events:

Other Agencies